The subject matter described herein relates to methods for ultrasonic testing of an object, to ultrasonic testing devices, and to methods for testing an object with an ultrasonic testing device.
Known ultrasonic testing devices for material testing include an ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer is used to generate ultrasonic waves that are transmitted into the material. The transducer is also used for receiving echoes of ultrasonic waves propagating through the material. The echoes include reflections of flaws or other discontinuities in the material. The echo is converted into an electrical signal by a transducer. By presenting this signal in a so-called “A-mode image” or “A-scan”, a user is able to identify flaws and discontinuities in the material.
At least some known ultrasonic testing devices are capable of generating and presenting a so-called “B-mode-image” or “B-scan”. The B-mode image represents a two-dimensional echogram of the tested material. In B-mode images, the information of a plurality of A-mode images representing a plurality of scans of the material in several regions is displayed. A special type of a B-mode image is the so-called “sector scan” or “S-Scan”, hereinafter referred to as the “S-mode image”. A S-mode image with inclined scans of the material is usually generated in case a phased array transducer is used.
Time-controlled gating is used for cutting off regions of the material which are not of interest for the actual investigation. The gating start time or the gating finish time is set in one of the A-mode images. The gating times are then used for all electrical signals when generating the B-mode image individually. However, such a method encounters specific challenges when it comes to flaws with a general geometry, for instance, a geometry not aligned parallel to the surface of the material.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method for ultrasonic scanning and an apparatus for ultrasonic scanning capable of handling flaws with general geometries.